Barker Ross launches under 25s training academy

The Academy is working with Job Centres and companies in the Midlands to take people under 25 off benefits and get them into work.

Working in partnership with local businesses, the Barker Ross Training Academy is building tailored training courses to give people the skills, confidence and knowledge they need to take on particular roles that are vacant. To get onto a course people must be receiving JSA/ESA or income support and be over the age of 19 years old. This group of younger long term unemployed often find it hard to get into work as lack of experience becomes a barrier.

Currently the Academy offers training in the areas of warehouse and logistics, food manufacturing and customer service. So far 265 people have been through the Barker Ross Training Academy and over 500 are currently being interviewed to go onto courses. People completing a course will get a nationally recognised qualification so they will also gain by improving their CVs.

Paul Ross, CEO and founder of Barker Ross says, “As a recruitment company with a big investment in finding the right candidates, Barker Ross has a great deal of experience in building training programmes for our existing workforce in areas such as manufacturing and construction.”

“Taking unemployed people and training them for work is a logical extension of our expertise. We are marrying our & lsquo;real life’ knowledge of the workplace with bespoke training, which is proving to be a very successful way to get people back into work for the long term.”

For pre-screened candidates, training is undertaken in the classroom and the company’s premises, with courses tailored to each company. The aim of the training programme is to offer candidates employment with that company. If the company or the trainees don’t want to go ahead Barker Ross will short list candidates for other opportunities.

Barker Ross Training Academy manager, Catherine Moon says, “We aim to train people so that they have the confidence and knowledge to get back into work. We benefit as we are able to provide the companies with people who are well prepared and thoroughly assessed for their vacancies. Candidates also gain a qualification, so its & lsquo;win-win’ all around.”